Kenting's Three Treasures Introduction
The three treasures of Hengchun in the past were "Qiongma, onion, and port tea," while today they are "Qiongma, onion, and watermelon." With the changes of the times, watermelon and onion remain the main agricultural products of the Hengchun Peninsula. However, Qiongma has gradually declined due to industrial changes in Taiwan, and now only the "Qiongma Industrial History Exhibition Hall" remains, providing visitors insight into the rise and fall of Qiongma, serving as a testament to the once prosperous Qiongma industry. Qiongma: Among the three treasures of Hengchun, Qiongma is the most famous and historically significant. Taiwan's Qiongma was introduced by American consul Duwison, initially attempting to plant it at the Taipei Agricultural Experiment Station, and in the second year, several Qiongma plants were transplanted to the Hengchun Tropical Breeding Farm. Due to favorable trial results, large-scale cultivation began; by 1918, machinery and equipment were imported, leading to the mechanization of Qiongma production. The uses of hemp are diverse, extending beyond ropes to include hammocks, burlap sacks, shoes, cushions, carpets, brushes, and paper, even serving as packaging material in farms and factories. As prices looked promising, the residents of Hengchun flocked to the mountains, cutting down trees and planting Qiongma seedlings on all available land. At its peak, production reached 200 tons in a month, earning the title "Light of the Orient." During its prime, the price for Qiongma once rose to NT$12 per jin, bringing substantial wealth to the residents of Hengchun, and giving rise to the saying "Qiongma raises high buildings." Thus, Qiongma became a representative of Hengchun. Later, with the rise of industries and fierce competition in the international market, prices plummeted, and the profit from cultivating Qiongma became negligible, leading to its decline. It was not until tourism began to thrive in Hengchun that the villagers shifted their enthusiasm for cultivating Qiongma towards tourism. Onion: The barren gravelly soil of the Hengchun Peninsula and the strong down-slope winds in winter are suitable for onion bulb growth. Moreover, the stronger the down-slope winds, the better the quality of the onions. After over 30 varieties were introduced from the United States in the 1950s, Hengchun became the primary onion production area in Taiwan, accounting for 80% of Japan's total onion imports in the 1970s. During the peak onion harvest in March and April each year, one can see piles of golden onions shimmering in the sunlight along the roads. To promote onions, the farmer's association of Checheng Township organizes the "Hengchun Onion Festival/Carnival," while concurrently developing multiple onion by-products, making onions a representative specialty of Pingtung County. Port Tea: Produced in Gangkou Village, Manjhou Township, located at the estuary of Gangkou Creek, it is said that during the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty, the county magistrate enjoyed tea, but there were no tea trees on the Hengchun Peninsula, so fresh tea was unavailable. Tea seeds were thus brought from Anxi, Fujian, planted in Hengchun and Manjhou. As a result, Gangkou Village in Manjhou Township successfully cultivated tea due to its hillside facing away from the northeast monsoon and welcoming the southwest monsoon, with abundant rainfall, making it suitable for tea cultivation, hence the name Port Tea. Port tea is mostly planted on hillside terraces, with a harvest season all year round. However, the planting area is quite small, with an annual production of about 600 kilograms, making it quite expensive, especially spring tea and winter tea. Due to climate and soil conditions, Port Tea's biggest characteristic is its strong bitterness, high concentration, durability in steeping, and fragrant aroma, leaving a lasting aftertaste. Its unique flavor is said to have remarkable effects in treating coughs and colds when consumed with rock sugar, and it has become one of the famous products of Kenting National Park. Watermelon: In recent years, the Hengchun Peninsula has been utilizing the riverbeds of the Shihchung Creek and Fenggang Creek to cultivate watermelon during the winter down-slope wind season, making it the only place in Taiwan that produces watermelon in the winter. The red flesh of the watermelon is as passionate as the bright sun of the Hengchun Peninsula; the locally grown watermelon is sweet, crispy, juicy, and has an excellent taste. Therefore, watermelon is gradually replacing port tea as one of the treasures of Hengchun.
Harbor Tea
Qionma Industrial History Exhibition Area
